# Shane McGowan - hot!!?!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301 "2006-01-31T02:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/1 "2006-01-31T02:48:24Z")
A documentary on the Pogues was on tonight, and my wife was stunned. How could a guy with such a great voice look, well, like Shane McGowan. I watched as an image in her mind’s eye was smashed like so many drunken teeth. I had to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/2 "2006-01-31T03:41:57Z")
Let me start by saying that i absolutely love The Pgues. I have all their albums—from McGowan’s days and after—and they’re definitely among my two or three favorite artists. I also think that Shane McGowan’s voice is perfectly suited to their punk-influenced Irish folk rock. But i would never describe him as having a “great voice,” at least not in any classical sense. His voice is raw and emotional and loud, but it’s not exactly a great singing voice, in the way those things often often judged. Personally, i think his voice and his looks are perfectly matched, and i wouldn’t want him any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/3 "2006-01-31T04:55:13Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > …was smashed like so many drunken teeth. I’ll have to remember this! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/4 "2006-01-31T05:15:46Z")
What was the documentary you saw? I’ve seen _If I Should Fall from Grace_, which was shot pretty recently. He looked like hell. I think he’s drinking himself to death, and he’s getting close to that goal. ☹ I saw him a couple of years ago and wished I hadn’t. He was so drunk he couldn’t remember his songs. He was having difficulty moving and pretty much just hung on to the microphone mumbling his lyrics. It was heartbreaking. The Pogues were one of the greatest bands ever, IMO. But Shane now lives in a sadly fallen state. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/5 "2006-01-31T09:57:19Z")
[About the time I went to see Shane “perform”…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=130131&highlight=shane) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/6 "2006-01-31T10:13:52Z")
I saw him, with The Pogues, in Sydney in the 80s. He and they were great. Later I saw an interview with McGowan where he acknowledged that the band’s drinking was effecting their performance. So they stopped drinking spirits and wine before a show and limitted themselves to **ten** pints of beer each. That’s restraint. By the way Johnny Depp plays some of the guitar on _The Snake_ by Shane and The Popes. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/7 "2006-01-31T12:09:20Z")
Shane is hot only in Cafe Society. It’s true. I’ll move him there for you. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/8 "2006-01-31T14:46:23Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > I saw him, with The Pogues, in Sydney in the 80s. He and they were great. Later I saw an interview with McGowan where he acknowledged that the band’s drinking was effecting their performance. So they stopped drinking spirits and wine before a show and limitted themselves to **ten** pints of beer each. > > That’s restraint. > > By the way Johnny Depp plays some of the guitar on _The Snake_ by Shane and The Popes. I think Depp is also in the video for “Victoria.” Anyway, I recently watched _If I Should Fall From Grace_ and was pretty horrified watching McGowan slur his way through the interviews. Not that I thought him to be the model of temperance, ever, but I guess it’s always kind of shocking to see someone that low. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/9 "2006-01-31T15:38:02Z")
I used to have an album that had MacGowan singing a duet with Sinead O’Connor. Talk about a mismatch. O’Connor had such a pretty little angelic voice, singing about how her boyfriend was a little shy. MacGowan? Shy??? MacGowan sang in his usual drunken bum style, and when they joined together for the chorus, it was like oil and vinegar. “I’m haunted by the ghost, Oh I’m haunted by the ghost…” Sheesh, what publicist thought of THAT idea? ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/10 "2006-01-31T19:17:13Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > MacGowan sang in his usual drunken bum style, and when they joined together for the chorus, it was like oil and vinegar. “I’m haunted by the ghost, Oh I’m haunted by the ghost…” Sheesh, what publicist thought of THAT idea? It’s called “Haunted” and it’s on the extended version of _The Snake_ by Shane MacGowan and the Popes. And it’s “I want to be haunted by the ghost…” I love the contrast between their voices/styles! I saw Shane MacGowan with the Popes at the Fillmore a few years ago, with the esteemable **woodstockbirdybird**. Shane made it through the entire show without passing out, and he even remembered the words to most songs. He also did the kick assingest version of “Sally MacLennane” I’ve heard in ages. Shane ain’t easy on the eye, that’s for sure. He wears his addictions on his… well, face. And teeth. And fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/11 "2006-01-31T19:25:43Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > It’s called “Haunted” and it’s on the extended version of _The Snake_ by Shane MacGowan and the Popes. And it’s “I want to be haunted by the ghost…” I love the contrast between their voices/styles! Me too. It’s one of my favorite post-Pogues numbers by Shane. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/12 "2006-01-31T19:33:31Z")
How is [this](http://www.karott.com/images/happy.jpg) not hot? ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/13 "2006-01-31T20:23:02Z")
I liked the part in _If I Should Fall From Grace_ where Shane gives all of the money in his pockets, wads of cash, to a homeless guy lying on the sidewalk … and then tries to steal a bicycle locked to a railing. Me and the Mrs. are seeing the Pogues on St. Patrick’s Day. I hope Shane lives that long. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shane-mcgowan-hot/342301/14 "2006-02-01T01:04:46Z")
Me too. Hoping he lives that long, that is. _If I Should Fall From Grace_ was pretty horrifying, even though I knew what to expect. Watching him struggle to express a thought, then just let out that hissing laugh and give up… _Damn_. Love the man, love the music, but both break my heart.